Fast Casual Nation

What if the secret to taking a fast casual brand from $700K to $3.5 million in average unit volume wasn't a new menu or a tech stack, but three words? This week on Fast Casual Nation, Cherryh Cansler and I sit down with Ralph Bower, CEO of The Melt, and Greg Vojnovic, VP & Head of Franchising. We get into how a single mission, "deliver an I Love It Here experience to every guest," rebuilt this brand from the inside out. Now The Melt is taking it national through franchising.Ralph tore up every mission and vision statement in the company. He runs "I Love It Here" rallies twice a day, and he pays bonuses on Yelp and Google feedback instead of sales and profits. The result: Yelp and Google averages above 4.7, and one- and two-star reviews cut from 12% to 4%. Greg breaks down why franchising at The Melt will be driven by the right operators, not by a map of target markets.What we cover:The Melt's origin as a grilled cheese brand founded in 2011, and how listening to 1,100 guests and team members sparked the turnaround"I Love It Here" rallies, and why The Melt bonuses on guest feedback instead of salesRestaurants doing over $6 million in roughly 2,200–2,400 square feetGrowing from 17 to 24 restaurants this year, and the franchising strategy behind national expansion"Burger plus": the chopped Angus & Wagyu Melt Burger and why competitors can't copy itRaising prices 30% and watching customer complaints drop 90%Cross-shopping burger-and-fries prices against Five Guys, Shake Shack, and more using Savor IntelligenceLessons from Popeyes, Domino's, and Yum, and why the franchisee is the customerLightning round: GLP-1s, the future of fast casual as a category, and must-read business booksWhy listening to the team led to third-party delivery, now 35% of salesChapters:0:00 Intro0:15 Welcome to Fast Casual Nation1:47 Fast casual's squeeze & The Melt's national franchising launch3:54 Savor Intelligence launches on Savor.fm7:34 Meet Ralph Bower & Greg Vojnovic of The Melt8:00 The Melt's history: from grilled cheese to $3.5M AUVs10:30 The "I Love It Here" mission and daily rallies14:22 Bonusing on Yelp & Google reviews, not sales16:20 $6M restaurants and the "I Love It Here" North Star18:20 Growth: 24 restaurants and close to $80M this year19:23 Franchising strategy: operators over markets24:08 "Burger plus" and the chopped Angus & Wagyu Melt Burger28:05 Pricing: why people pay a premium for extraordinary31:37 Cross-shopping burger prices vs. Five Guys & Shake Shack35:34 The Melt's Savor Intelligence scores36:35 Popeyes lessons: the franchisee is the customer38:40 From the Pentagon to Domino's40:24 Lightning round: GLP-1s and indulgence42:01 Will fast casual still be a category in five years?43:37 Book picks from Ralph & Greg46:00 Listening to your team: the third-party delivery story48:00 Wrap-up with Paul & CherryhFast Casual Nation is The #1 Restaurant Business Podcast with Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler. If you got something out of this one, subscribe, and give us five stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Links:- Savor: https://www.savor.fm- All Savor podcasts: https://www.savor.fm/podcasts- The Melt: https://themelt.com#FastCasualNation #TheMelt #RestaurantFranchising #FastCasual #RestaurantBusinessBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory

In this episode, Susan Taylor (Sue), President & CEO, and Chris Britt, Co-Owner of Juice It Up!, dive into the realities of modern beverage trends. Moving past marketing gimmicks, they explore how functional ingredients, real nutrition, and consumer demand are reshaping the smoothie and juice industry. Tune in for an insider perspective on delivering quality protein without the hype.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory

Fast Casual Nation goes live for the first time, recorded in front of a studio audience of restaurant operators and suppliers. Hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler start with Britney from Hire Me on hiring Gen Z, flexible scheduling, and why referrals still matter. Then they sit down with Justin Mennen, Chief Information and Technology Officer at Shake Shack, to talk about Project Catalyst, the company’s plan to scale from roughly 400 company-owned U.S. locations to 1,500. Mennen breaks down the four pillars of the initiative (a new POS and KDS, the brand’s first loyalty program, Shack AI, and a data foundation), explains why Shake Shack is keeping AI out of the drive-thru, and shares what the kiosk data is showing about check size. The episode wraps with an audience poll on technology priorities and a lightning round on IoT, cross-department alignment, and loyalty without discounting.#FastCasualNation #ShakeShack #ProjectCatalyst #RestaurantTech #RestaurantAI #HospitalityTech #FastCasual #RestaurantOperations #RestaurantHiring #LoyaltyProgramBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory

How does a 100% gluten-free Brazilian café scale beyond its core demographic into a high-growth fast-casual powerhouse?In this episode of the Fast Casual Nation Front Runners series, host Paul sits down with Pedro and Cleo Uchôa, the visionaries behind TAP. Fresh off winning The Perfect Pitch at the Fast Casual Executive Summit, the Uchôa brothers share their blueprint for expanding TAP across New York City and South Florida—and how they’re using backend AI to supercharge growth.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory

Join the hosts fresh off the Fast Casual Executive Summit and Restaurant Catering Workshop as they analyze the latest trends, wild industry rumors, and growth strategies shaping the restaurant world.In this episode, they break down why the rumored Starbucks and Chipotle deal was a false start, discuss how top brands are navigating traffic slumps without gutting margins, and explore bold marketing shifts like Chipotle’s "big ass bag." Plus, they are joined by Drew Travis, the new CFO of Chicken Salad Chick. Drew shares insights from his time at McDonald's, Grubhub, and Bloomin' Brands, explaining how Chicken Salad Chick is scaling past 340+ locations toward 500+ units, using AI to power predictive site selection, and driving positive foot traffic through consistency and pure Southern hospitality.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory